RED WINE FROM SPAIN // WHITE WINE FROM GREECE // QUITE GOOD

RED WINE FROM SPAIN // WHITE WINE FROM GREECE // QUITE GOOD

Tres Picos Garnacha is a red wine from Spain. This review is of Tres Picos Garnacha 2011.
According to the bottle, the grapes for this wine come from old vine Garnacha vineyards. The growing conditions are said to be on “rugged terrain on the slopes of the famous Moncayo mountain.”
The Garnacha grape, per the Wine Bible, is native to Spain and is a widely planted grape in that country. It’s also often used in blends due to its big body and jammy flavors.
This particular wine is not a blend and is 100% Garnacha according to the tech specs.
Tres Picos Garnacha comes from Bodegas Borsao and has won many awards, including several from the Wine Advocate.
Alcohol content of Tres Picos Garnacha is 13.5% according to the bottle.
This wine was given to me as a gift from a good friend. He hinted he was very interested in seeing how this review would go.
In the glass this wine is deep ruby in color. It’s quite dark and very little shines through.
Many thick, slow moving legs were observed.
The fragrance of Tres Picos Garnacha was heavy with lots of jammy fruits and a good whiff of alcohol. I also noted hints of black raspberry.
The black raspberry carried through to the palate along with other jammy black and red fruits. Tres Picos Garnacha is full-bodied with a good amount of complexity.
Biting tannins were noted on the top of the tongue and the wine had a mouth coating viscosity. The tasting notes for this wine say the tannins are soft and silky, however I disagree with that evaluation.
The wine’s finish was very long and quite enjoyable.
Price for Tres Picos Garnacha is about $11.00 to $14.00.
Overall, I really liked Tres Picos Garnacha. It’s a great red wine from Spain that lives up to the expectation of the big and boldness of the Garnacha varietal.
I also liked the fact that it is a straight Garnacha and not a blend, which really allows you the full experience of a bold Garnacha. Give it a try!

Thalassitis by Gaia Wines is a Greek wine from the island of Santorini. It’s a dry white Greek wine made from Assyrtiko grapes. For this review we had a team of three men and one woman. We received a sample for review purposes. Alcohol 13.0% by volume.
According to the wine maker, “Assyrtiko is perhaps the only Mediterranean variety of grape to flourish under such difficult climatic conditions. From poor, porous soil formed by volcanic activity and composed largely of pumice, we harvest fully mature grapes with a relatively high acidity. Our vineyard, located on the Southeastern slopes of Episkopi is composed entirely of 70-80 year old, ungrafted vines with a dramatically low yield.
Prior to wine-making, harvested berries are chilled down to 39 degrees F. in cooling chambers and then destemmed and cold soaked for 12 hours at approximately 50 degrees C. This pre-fermentation extraction will contribute greatly in enhancing the varietal aromas of Assyrtiko. Fermentation is carried out at 60 degrees F. by inoculating with selected yeast strains. The new wine (due to the climatic conditions of Santorini) does not contain any malic acid. Thus, no malolactic fermentation is required.”
In the glass this wine appears clear, non-effervescent and light like a Chablis. Also described by the tasters as light golden or the color of light straw.
On the nose this Greek wine had aromas of non-potent lemon and a slight hint of grapefruit. One taster likened the nose to Greek lemon soup. No noticeable whiff of alcohol.
On the palate the Thalassitis was very dry, though lively. Tastes of citrus and grapefruit were noted. Not a sweet wine. “Great acidity” was mentioned by a taster.
The wine finished fresh, crisp and tart and we all felt it to be agreeable and appealing.
Overall, all three of us really enjoyed this nice Greek wine. One of the tasters professed to not liking whites very much but nonetheless said this was a white they’d purchase! Other comments were “very good to excellent and better than a Pinot Grigio”, “pleasant” and “an excellent cocktail hour choice.”
We determined this wine would pair well with a fish dish, appetizers or poultry. Recommend!

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